>> rick: hello. welcome to a brand-new hour inside america's news headquarters. i'm rick folbaum. >> arthel: i'm arthel neville. stalemate in washington with exactly one month to go 'til america is hit by huge tax hikes and spending cuts. finding out where the negotiations stand. >> rick: plus, talk of a republican rebound, we'll speak with some young party leaders who are very enthusiastic about the future and we'll ask them

how they plan to prove the republican party is a party for everyone. >> arthel: and as the holidays draw near, we check in on the victims of hurricane sandy. how they're surviving, plus an international story of americans who know all too well what they're going through and are now lending a helping hand. >> rick: we begin with a fox news extreme weather alert out of northern california. they're now being slammed there by another in a series of severe storms that have already killed one person. the region already dealing with flash floods, mud slides, downed trees, power lines. people there say they've never seen anything like it. >> i haven't seen this in many years. this much water running through my property. that water runup should not come on our property. they have to have holding ponds or some sort of drainage in place to divert or what have you, from my property 'cause it's just below there. >> rick: dominic is live in california with the very latest.

dominic? >> hey there, rick. suddenly round three tonight and we're going to see the heaviest rain since this began on wednesday. in fact, possibly more rainfalling tonight than the last two storms combined, believe it or not. it could be as much as ten inches of rain that falls in parts 6789 we've already seen mud slides in certain parts of california. in two areas block off highways, also partly destroying some homes. one area was badly hit. highway 84 was closed for a while as mud slid on the road there. we're hearing from pg and e, they're setting up mobil command centers to assist those who need help. a spokesman for pg and e explained how they were going to work. take a listen. >> it allows us not just to work within our own pg and e staff, but with first responders and have them on site working shoulder to shoulder.

>> first responders on stand-by not just in california, but also in states of nevada are where they're expected to declare a state of emergency, possibly sunday. so much rain is going to fall in the next 12 hours or so, that they've handed out sandbags in places like reno, for example, where they expect to see heavy rains. also the river in nevada, that expected to flood by at least four foot in part. the national weather center also putting out a fresh flood warning for the napa river. they're saying the areas of saint helena and napa city itself could see the level of water rise above the 16-foot safety mark, not entire leisure just where exactly it could burst its banks. but emergency crews on stand-by for that. of course, continued travel disruption. san francisco airport delays of up to 30 to 90 minutes. but after that heavy rain hits overnight and heavy winds as well, those delays could go on for a lot longer. major disruptions for the days ahead because it's not only

about this third storm tomorrow, but monday we're expecting another weather front to come through. that will cause many more problems, rick. >> rick: we'll continue to track it. dominic, thanks. >> arthel: lawmakers now have exactly one month to strike a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. tax hikes affecting nearly all americans and across the board spending cuts set to kick in at the end of the year. so far both republicans and democrats are digging in on their demands and neither is putting forth a plan. >> i'm willing to move forward in good faith. our original framework still stands. instead of raising tax rates, we can produce similar amount of revenue reforming the tax code to close loopholes and lower tax rates. that's far better for the economy. >> the clock is ticking. the year is ending. it's really important with tax

legislation for it to happen now. we're calling upon the republican leadership in the house to bring this legislation to the floor next week. >> arthel: let's bring in steve centanni with more. >> as you can see, the two sides are taking strong stands on principle, but aren't really getting any closer to a compromise as we speed toward that fiscal cliff. the president hit the road appearing at a pennsylvania toy factory yesterday and appealing for a balanced approach, including spending cuts and new revenues. the president says we could cut taxes for the middle class right now if congress agreed to extend the bush era tax cuts for everybody except those earning more than 250,000 a year. he stressed the urgency of the situation. >> if congress does nothing, every family will see their income taxes automatically go up at the beginning of next year. a family of four will see their income tax rise by $2,200.

we can't let that happen. our families can't afford it and neither can our economy. >> republicans, including house speaker john boehner, is staking out a very different position. they're demanding spending cuts to go along with extra revenue and they're opposed to raising the tax rate for the wealthy. they accuse the president of breaking his campaign promises. >> the president has said he wants a so-called balanced approach to solve this crisis. what he proposed this week was a classic bait and switch on the american people. a tax increase double the size of what he campaigned on. billions of dollars in new stimulus spending, and an unlimited, unchecked authority to borrow from the chinese. >> house democrats are threatening a procedural move to force a vote on the tax cut bill, but there is little chance they'll actually get things moving that way. back to you. >> arthel: thanks, steve. i want to remind everybody about a must see fox news sunday

tomorrow. we'll have an exclusive interview with john boehner, as well as interview with treasury secretary tim geithner. that is president obama's lead negotiator in the fiscal cliff talks. it's all happening tomorrow on fox news sunday. check your local listings for the time and channel in your area. >> rick: speak of the president, we could soon be learning who he wants to have serve in his administration in his second term. source telling fox news, a slate of nominations could be coming this month and that would likely include a replacement for the defense secretary, leon panetta, and if that does happen, it will come a little sooner than a lot of people had expected. the short list reportedly includes former republican senator chuck hagel, deputy defense secretary ashton carter, michelle floroni, a top official and democratic senator john kerry >> arthel: a reported murder-suicide rocking the nfl today. police say kansas city chiefs

linebacker gentleman von belcher shot and killed his girlfriend this morning. he than drove to arrowhead stadium where he killed himself in front of his coach and general manager. elizabeth prann live from atlanta with more on this very sad story. elizabeth? >> hi. we do have breaking news for you. police have just released the identity of belcher's girlfriend as 22-year-old cassandra perkins. she died in the hospital after suffering multiple gunshot wounds inflicted by the 25-year-old, the starting linebacker for the kansas city chiefs. he's been with the organization for four years until this morning when he took his own life outside the stadium. he did this before thanking his coach and general manager for all they've done for him. we heard from darren snap, from the kansas city police department. he set up the scene and told us what happened this morning. listen. >> the coaches said when he pulled up, he was -- they were never in danger of the he never threatened them or anything. they talked for a little bit and

that's when he shot himself. >> this all happened about an hour after police say he shot perkins multiple times at a home only five miles from the stadium. his mother called 911 from the home. the second shooting which happened outside the practice building, caused whole chiefs facility to go on lock down today. the event sent shock waves throughout the community. >> we're talking about kids that are 25, 26, 24 years old playing in circumstances that most of us never dream of and living lives in fish bowls and sometimes that becomes unbearable. but beyond all of that, there are a lot of people who are hurting. there's a young baby without a parent or parents. >> belcher has had no reported history of controversy with his home or with the team. we do know from the police spokesperson that the couple was arguing, but he gave no details about a possible motive for this crime. arthel? >> arthel: elizabeth prann,

thank you so much. so sad. >> rick: switching gears now, overseas new turmoil rock egypt, dueling protests breaking out across the country. opponents of the egyptian president mohammed morsi filling the streets of cairo, including tahrir square. curious over his growing power and a controversial new draft constitution. another city, supporters of the president also turning out in force. violence breaking out as they pour into the streets. steve harrigan is streaming live from cairo with the latest. >> rick, a few thousand anti-presidential protesters in tahrir square. in other parts of the city, about two miles from here, as many as 200,000 protesters turned out. these are people who support president morsi. many of them from the muslim brotherhood. a large number were bussed in from rural areas in egypt. many carrying the koran and shouting, god is the law. it was a real show of force and

show of public support by those who support egypt's new president. he also announced there will be a constitutional referendum on december 15. it came really after a vote on friday pushing through that constitution in one day. now the nation will have the chance to vote up or down on that constitution. president morsi said the extreme powers he declared for himself last week would end when that constitution is ratified. perhaps in just two weeks' time. it's not clear that's going to be enough for the protesters behind me, some of whom intend to sleep on the square until they drive president morsi from power. rick, back to you. >> rick: steve streaming live from cairo. thanks. >> arthel: closer to home, our neighbor to the south swear not guilty a new president. enrique pena nieto taking the oath of office as president marks,ing the return to power of the old ruling power after a 12-year absence. the new leader promising to ends years of violence and create jobs. the ceremony not going off without a hitch.

the swearing in was marred by protesters outside, throwing home made bombs and fire crackers. >> rick: when we come back, shaping the future of the republican party. the gop's youngest members and their vision for the party going forward. we'll talk with three of them. >> arthel: and budget breakdown, why some republicans are suggesting that president obama may actually want the country to go off or over the so-called fiscal cliff. >> rick: plus, sailing into history, the u.s. navy saying good-bye to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier that served in every major conflict since the cuban missile crisis. we'll tell about that [ male announcer ] red lobster's crabfest ends soon. hurry in and try five succulent entrees, like ourender snow crab paired with savory garlic shrimp. just $12.99. come into red lobster and sea food differently. and introducing 7 lunch choices for just $7.99.

till you finish your vegetables. [ clock ticking ] [ male announcer ] there's a better way... v8 v-fusion. vegetable nutrition they need, fruit taste they love. could've had a v8. or...try kids boxes! [ engine revs ] ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] the mercedes-benz winter event is back, with the perfect vehicle that's just right for you, no matter which list you're on. [ santa ] ho, ho, ho, ho! [ male announcer ] lease a 2013 ml350 for $599 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer.

[ male announcer ] the way it moves. the way it cleans. everything about the oral-b power brush is simply revolutionary. oral-b power brushes oscillate, rotate and even pulsate to gently loosen and break up that sticky plaque

with more brush movements than manual brushes and even up to 50% more than leading sonic technology brushes for a superior clean. oral-b power brushes. go to oralb.com for the latest offers.

>> arthel: time for a quick check of the headlines. two people have been killed in a bus crash at miami international airport. the double decker bus was carrying 32 people when it slammed into an overpass. new information in a pair of deadly attacks in wyoming. police say a suspect stabbed a woman near cat per college, then went to the campus where he used a bow and arrow to kill his father who was a teacher. north korea announcing plans to launch a long-range rocket this month. clear violation of the u.n. weapons ban on the country. the u.s. says the launch would threaten peace and security in the region and talks of allies

are underway to determine a course of action. >> rick: ever since the election, most republicans have been talking about the future of the party, how to regain the advantage among voters. some of the most optimistic voices come from the party's youngest members. a new generation of leaders who hope to steer the party in the years ahead. joining us now, alexander smith, national co-chair for the college republican national committee. meghan is chairman of the massachusetts alliance at college republicans. and jake wagner is chairman of the new hampshire federation of college republicans. welcome all three. nice to talk with you. so glad we were able to do this. i've been looking forward to it. alex appearedder, let me start with you because young voters were so drawn to president obama once again this year. not as much so as in 2008, but a big advantage over governor romney. 59 to 37%. why do you think that was? >> you know, we were able to make strides among the youth,

decreasing the president's lead from 2008. this year we carried 37% of all 18 to 29-year-olds. this was a big accomplishment for the republican national college commit. we had our largest field staff out. 63 field reps in 25 battle ground states and together they produced about 7.2 million live voter contacts and recruited 52,000 new cr's. so we were tremendously proud of our field efforts. and i think that's largely what you see reflected in those numbers. if you really break down those numbers, though, governor romney made big leaps and strides among the white male vote of 18 to 29-year-olds, but we still suffered as a party with young women and young minority voters. so i think that overall, this says to college republicans that we'll have to engage more with the communities and really refine our message when talking to those folks. >> rick: meghan, how much of it do you think is social issues? are young people just more open

to the idea of abortion rights for women, same sex marriage rights for gay couples? what is it? >> i definitely think it's a lot different from the current generation that is going out there and voting the most. middle age and older voters are voting less on social issues and i know the social issues are a bigger impact on youth voters because it is something that affects us directly more than the fiscal budget or something like that. where college students, we are dealing with the social things every single day. we're dealing with them in our classes, in our separate clubs. so i do think social issues are going to be making a bigger stance in the next coming election, especially with the republican party. >> rick: jake, help us look into the future now. i'm going to ask all three of you, but let's start with jake. how would young republicans like to see future candidates talk about, for example, taxes? we have the fiscal cliff negotiations going on on capitol

hill. for young republicans right now, as you listen to what both sides are saying in this debate, where do young republicans fall on raising taxes for the wealthiest to help pay down the debt? >> sure. thank you for having us on today, of course. but i think it's just important that as a party, our candidates are making sure that our voices are modernizing, not necessarily moderating. we don't necessarily have to fundamentally change who we are as a party and who we are as republicans. we have to make sure that our voices on taxes, on spending on the economy, are heard loud and clear. just as meghan said, the economic issues are driving many young voters indeed. so where we stand on taxes is that they should be low, but most importantly, in regards to college students and younger voters, we need to make sure that when we graduate college, that we're put to that a job environment that we're able to live productively, that we're not burdened by higher taxes, that we're not burdened by the

difficulties put forth by government spending at the rates that they have been. so when it comes to the fiscal cliff, our young voters more than ever want to make sure that our republicans and our candidates that are putting forth the message of working together to get this problem solved. i think whether you look at this simpson bowles plan or other things, we need to make sure we're work together and putting these important issues forth. >> rick: let's talk about entitlement reform. that's another topic that's very important for republicans and they have said that the leadership in washington, they want to hear the president. they want to hear democrats talk about entitlement reform. are young republicans in favor of a partial or whole privatization of our entitlement program? would young republicans be open to the idea of privatizing social security and things like that? >> our republicans on campus have traditionally expressed support for cutting spending. they can see that the current climate that we're in of overspending and simply not

having enough revenue and increasing our deficit is just not a tenable plan for the future, especially as regards to our future employment prospective. but i think with younger voters and with all voters, nationwide and polls showed the core conservative issues of cutting spending and limited government still reigned, which is promising for our future. it was that cares about me question that got us. more than 80% of respondents felt the republican party was something -- a party that did not care about them. so i think going into the future and especially speaking to those communities and demographics that were not supportive of the republican party this time around, it will be important for us as college republicans to make sure we got that message out to those communities in a way that shows that the republican party cares about the future of the entire country by making us a more sustainable place to live. >> rick: meghan, how do you do

that? how does the republican party reach out and say, we care about you to the immigrant community? immigration, it seems like republicans are eager now, since election day, to get some kind of a bill going on immigration reform. how do young people in your party see that issue and where would you like to see the reform movement go? >> well, i think this is backing off of what jake was saying about the economic situation. i think both sides of the party need to compromise. i mean, some of the republican viewpoints on immigration just don't really stand anymore and it also is on the same side of the democratic party and i think we need to look at these terms more realistically and come up with what is going to be best for the country rather than best for the party. >> we need definitely pragmatic solutions to that issue. i think we need to reproach that issue with more of a heart, more of an ideology that kind of

speaks to those minority voters, but most importantly, i think we've great bench of rising stars in the republican party that are of minority. look at susanna martinez, ted cruz, marco rubio, et cetera, to see where we have leading voices. >> rick: last question, and quickly, optimism for the future of the gop? >> very optimistic. i was with jake and meghan not too long ago at the massachusetts republican convention today where we saw 60 cr's come out before their finals, not 24 days after suffering the defeat here in boston and just to see such positive and positive enthusiasm for the future. these kids are ready to get on their campuses in the spring and start recruiting. >> rick: great to speak with all three of you. hope we can keep the conversation going over the next couple of years. >> thanks for having us. >> arthel: coming up, american students are racking up loans

and they're doing it fast, owing nearly $1 trillion and taxpayers may be on the line. could there be a repeat of the subprime mortgage crisis? >> rick: a favor repaid after super storm sandy, a group of new orleans firefighters traveling to new york city will tell you how they plan to help. >> it's a helpless feeling right now. as you can see, you have people that care. ♪

♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone deserves the gift of all day pain relief. this season, discover aleve. all day pain relief with just two pills. olaf gets great rewards for his small business! pizza! [ garth ] olaf's small busins earns 2% cash back on every purchase, ery day! helium delivery. put it on my spark card! [ pop! ] [ garth ] why settle for less? great businesses deserve great rewards! awesome!!! [ male announcer ] the spark business card from capital one. choose unlimited rewards with 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase, every day! what's in your wallet?

look this isn't my first christmas. these deals all seem great at the time... but later, not so much. this isn't that kind of deal. [ male announcer ] break from the holiday stress. save on ground shipping at fedex office.

starts with ground beef, unions, and peppers baked in a ketchup glaze with savory gravy and mashed russet potatoes. what makes stouffer's meatloaf best of all? that moment you enjoy it at home. stouffer's. let's fix dinner. aids is not going to take my baby. ♪ aids will not take our future. ♪ our weapons are testing... education, care and support.

♪ and aids... ♪ aids is going to lose. aids is going to lose. ♪ >> i have never done a fox news alert involving kim kardashian. this is a first. breaking news out of the arab kingdom of bahrain. the a.p. reporting kardashian apparently spawn ago violent protest. riot police firing tear gas to disburse more than 50 hard line protesters there to denounce her presence in the gulf kingdom. the clashes taking place just before kardashian was set to open a bahrain branch of her millions of milk shakes shop.

an associated press journalist saw protesters chanting, god is great, near the shopping complex about 12 miles south of the capitol. we will keep you posted. >> arthel: it's the bottom of the hour. time for the top of the news. flood warnings issued for parts of northern california as another powerful storm heads towards the area. mudslides also a concern as the ground remains saturated from previous storms. former president george h.w. bush remains in stable condition at a houston hospital following complications from bronchitis. spokesman said the president's cough was lingering, but he is expected to be discharged soon. limited internet service resumes in the syrian capitol following a two-day nationwideb. this as activists say syrian troops continue their bombardment of the capitol's eastern suburb, a focus of intense government offensive.

>> rick: it's been a month since hurricane sandy slammed into the new york city area. now one group is trying to help some of the storm's youngest victims by providing them with a much needed escape. anna kooiman is live on staten island with the latest. >> hello to everybody. camp tlc, or together living with a challenge, is trying to let kids just be kids, even though their lives have been turned-up side down. they've just wrapped up their third week. they do it every saturday. today was carnival day. they're actually calling this special camp, camp sandy. a bus driver picked up about 30 kids and many of their parents from a shelter and brought them to the church, gateway academy. kids from ages four to 16 shared their stories, do sing alongs, arts and crafts, zumba. they can take nonper arabables from this distribution center. it's a traveling camp that served about 500 kids in the last two years. the founder says this camp in

particular is tough. >> when we leave, it's definitely hard because we're going back to our bed and tv and couch. and as you can see, this is a production. like physically and emotionally. this is probably one of the hardest camps i've ever done, just hearing their stories and being able to maneuver through a disaster and all the organizations that are on site. it's definitely a challenge, but they look forward to next week. we hope he can do this every weekend while they're there. >> fema still has 36 disaster recovery centers set up in new york, 32 in new jersey, and eight in connecticut, many parents are frustrated with the federal government and expressed concerns to politicians at a town hall meeting. >> we go from one to another. we go from fema to our homeowners. our homeowners insurance offered me $150. what can i do with that? >> fema ain't doing nothing. still they keep going around in a circle and they go, denied. denied.

>> evacuees are thankful for having a place to sleep, but say living conditions in shelters are cramped and very nice to have space for the kids to be running around. the founder of camp tlc that you heard from just a moment ago, plans to be here and serve these kids as long as the families are in shelters and as long as she has enough funding. if you would like to donate, go to www.jdaf.org. >> rick: thanks >> arthel: new concerns over student loan debt in the u.s. as it nears the $1 trillion mark. it's raising questions about similar loan practices that contributed to the subprime mortgage crisis. take a look at the numbers now. last quarter, student debt hit $956 billion. 11% of that is now seriously delinquent. surpassing the rate for credit card delinquency for the first time ever. if the government extends low interest rates to students for another year, it will cost

taxpayers $6 billion. the ceo and founding partner of hexion is here. you've got 11% of those borrowers delinquent on their student loans and you got the loan debt now standing nearly a trillion dollars. this aid can't be good fort students and the economy either, right? >> indeed. the new normal and we've all seen this, is for graduates to move right back home with mom and dad and a whole percentage of our population, young adults, people 25 to 34, they're not out buying first homes and leasing automobiles. they're saving because they need to. >> arthel: so they're not putting cash into the economy. >> exactly. >> arthel: and also, it's difficult for students to get rid of those loans even if they file for bankruptcy. did i read this right, that social security payments can be garnished to pay for delinquent student loans? >> you did read that correctly. >> arthel: wow. >> i explain to people that student loan debt is like your

shadow. it is attached to you wherever you go for the rest of your life. when you declare bankruptcy, you can walk away from things like a mortgage, but you can not walk away from student debt. >> arthel: wow. let's talk about some of the better programs out there. government-backed loan versus the private lenders. >> so there are a number of different sources for students to get loans. the lowest interest rate loans are government subsidized loans. so 93% of all outstanding student loan debt is federally subsidized, federal loan debt. and one word of caution here for families, students can take loans and parents can take out loans on behalf of their students. >> arthel: you have that parent plus program. >> yes. yes. so if a parent is going to take out a loan for their child, they need to think very carefully about their financial future. no one is going to lend that parent money to fund their retirement. but someone will lend them student money to fund school.

>> arthel: so you mentioned the federal loans. of course, we're talk being if the federal government extends that low rate at 3.4% for the students for another year action it will cost taxpayers nearly 6 billion. what's the work around there? >> there are some things that could make this easier. the federal government has very cumbersome and confusing language about repayment options. and students, graduates are not taking advantage of things out there that would make this easier on them. >> arthel: like what, for instance? >> there was an income based repayment program. it's woefully underutilized. >> arthel: what do you mean by that? are you talking about there is advice out there that says that you should limit the amount of money that you borrow based on -- borrow for college based on what your estimated first year salary might be? is that what you're talking about? >> a government program that students could take -- graduates could take advantage of which would help them ease some of the debt burden. there are different ways that they can repay debt responsibly.

but there are different ways that they can negotiate that and here we have graduates that aren't aware of these programs and so they're not utilizing them. >> arthel: where do you go to find out that information? >> so to all of that is available on-line. it is hard to tease out. the jargon is complex and the government does not make this easy for students. >> arthel: but the government is trying to help. we have to go, but the government is trying to help to make college accessible to so many people 'cause without some of these low rate loans, lot of people won't get a shot at college. >> yes. but where we need help is in terms of the repayment program. indeed, the government is helping. >> arthel: okay. it's a little complicated and we're glad that you're here to sort of walk us through this. you can go to lexion capital management for more information and the information on-line. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> arthel: rick, you have a lot of student loans ahead of you. >> rick: we sure do. coming up, we've got a few years to save up for.

♪ . >> rick: scenes from a ceremony marking the retirement of a notable vessel, the uss enterprise, now out of active service, ending its career during the ceremony in norfolk beach, virginia, more than 12,000 people attending. the enterprise, 51 years old. she has served in every major conflict since the cuban missile crisis, and the aircraft airier used in the '86 film "top gun." the next aircraft carrier for the navy will be the uss gerald r. ford set for delivery in about three years. >> arthel: still ahead, republicans saying no way to president obama's plan to avoid going over the fiscal cliff. now some critics say the president deliberately picking a fight with the gop. a political insider weighs in

next. >> we want to have this extra spending that's actually greater than the amount they're willing to cut. i mean, it was not a serious proposal. copd includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. spiriva helps control my copd symptoms by keeping my airways open for 24 hours. plus, it reduces copd flare-ups. spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled copd maintenance treatment that does both. spiriva handihaler tiotropium bromide inhalation powder does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, glaucoma, trouble urinating, or an enlarged prostate. these may worsen with spiriva. discuss all medicines you take, even eye drops. stop taking spiriva and seek immediate medical help if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, vision changes or eye pain, or problems passing urine.

other side effects include dry mouth and constipation. nothing can reverse copd spiriva helps me breathe better. (blowing sou) ask your doctor about spiriva. time for cii price rewind. because your daughter really wants that pink castle thing. and you really don't want to pay more than you have to. only citi price rewind automatically searches for the lowest price. and it finds one, you get refunded the difference. just use your citi card and register your purchase online. have a super sparkly day! ok. [ male announcer ] now all you need is a magic carriage. citi price rewind. buy now. save later. is what drives us to broadcast the world's biggest events in 3d, or live to your seat high above the atlantic ocean. it's what drives us to create eco-friendly race tracks, batteries that power tomorrow's cars,

nearlyndestructible laptops, and the sustainable smart towns of the future. at panasonic, we're driven to make what matters most better. just another way we're engineering a better world for you. now we need a little bit more... [ male announcer ] at humana, we understand the value of quality time and personal attention. which is why we are proud to partner with health care professionals who understand the difference that quality time with our members can make... that's a very nice cake! ohh! [ giggles ] [ male announcer ] humana thanks the physicians, nurses, hospitals, pharmacists and other health professionals who helped us achieve the highest average star rating among national medicare companies... and become the first and only national medicare advantage company to achieve a 5-star rating for a medicare plan... your efforts result in the quality of care and service we're able to provide... which means better health outcomes...

and more quality time to share with the ones who matter most. i love you, grandma! [ male announcer ] humana. ♪ share "not even close." share "you owe me..." share "just right." the share everything plan. shareable data across 10 devices with uimited talk and text. by htc for $49.99.

>> arthel: one month and counting as we near the deadline to avoid the fiscal cliff. president obama proposing a plan that calls for a $1.6 trillion in tax increases over ten years. what's lacking is details on spending cuts. after weeks of talking, republicans saying the president is not meeting them halfway. >> there is a tail mate. let's not kid ourselves. i'm not trying to make this more difficult. you watched me over the last three weeks, i've been very guarded in what i have to say because i don't want to make it harder for me or the president or members of both parties to be able to find common ground. >> arthel: is the president looking to pick a fight with the

gop and does he want to go over the fiscal cliff? joining us live now, susan estridge and fox news contributor. good to sigh. >> good to see you, art. >> arthel: so is it preposterous or practical to think that president obama wants to go over the fiscal cliff? >> you know, art, i got to believe that at the end of the day, nobody wants to go over the fiscal cliff. i mean, the one thing we know that came out of this election, this very close election, was that people want both sides to work together. i think what we're seeing now is this kind of game of chicken where the majority of voters seem to think at least right now that if we go over the cliff, it will be the republicans' fault. so that gives the president a little more leverage. you know. what the republicans don't want and i think can't afford is for the president to be able to say look, the tax is on middle class

folks are going up because the republicans were determined to protect the millionaires and billionaires. so it's a pretty ugly situation. but you got to believe that both sides at the end of the day have got to find a way to work this out. >> arthel: right. one of the sticking points right now, we're talking about the spending cuts, the republicans are saying that the democrats' cuts, were not specific enough. and the republicans are also saying you know what, we don't really need those increases that the president is proposing. what does that tell but the negotiations? >> well, i think one thing is always clear, which is nobody ever wants to go first on spending cuts. remember, rick perry saying, i'm going to eliminate three departments, but i can only remember two. or mitt romney saying, big bird, that i'll cut. you put a list out of spending cuts and you immediately get under attack. some of the increase clearly is something that the republicans agree with, which is to deal

with the compensation being given to doctors, reimbursement. >> arthel: the so-called dock fix you're talking about. >> yeah. and so i think what's going to happen eventually is that both sides probably in closed door sessions, where you and i nay not know what's going on, are going to have to sit there on a bipartisan basis so that nobody gets the blame and come up with some spending cuts. the truth is that even if you hate billionaires, there aren't enough of them. you can't raise taxes enough to get us out of this crisis solely on the basis of revenue increases. >> arthel: you're feeling at this point, as we sit here, december 1, that political posturing will take a back seat to pragmatism? >> well, let's not go too far, art. we're talking about washington, d.c. and i think there is going to be plenty of political posturing. i think you're hearing john boehner say look, we've been

responsible and guarded. it's the other guy's fault. you're going to hear democrats say, middle class folks, you're being held hostage so that the billionaires can pay lower taxes. >> arthel: that's what i'm talking about because they have to look forward to the 2014 midterm elections and so each person has to go back to their constituents and say look, i fought for you for what you want. it's happening. but i'm saying, what's going toned up winning in the end, because the folks did vote november 6 saying they want to make some sort of agreement happen and they're tired of this gridlock happening there in washington. >> well look, i think you're absolutely right, art. i think that was the message and my only hope is, and i think you probably share it -- is that the political posturing will go on in public, but then at least in private we'll start to make some progress because, you know, at the end of the day, i really don't care what the polls say now about republicans to blame

versus democrats to blame. i think trust in government will go down and that's bad for all of us. if these guys can't find a way to make this sausage. >> arthel: it's down enough, that trust in government you're talking about. the bottom line, if you have any sort of relationship, at the end of the day, neither side wins when you don't find some sort of compromise. we the people will be the big losers if they don't find compromise. that's my two cents. >> you said it, art. >> arthel: thank you. i have to run now. but i want to remind everybody to watch your -- read your syndicated column in newspapers across the country every wednesday and friday because susan knows what she's talking about. [ laughter ] >> rick: she does. arthel what, are you in the mood for? mexican or a little greek or maybe some italian? these are some of the best appetizers, frozen appetizers on the market in case you're entertaining this holiday season. how do you know which ones are best? sue perry is here from "consumer reports" when we come right back.

don't go away

>> rick: the holiday season synonymous with parties. maybe you've been to some. maybe you're planning one. sometimes we find ourselves a little short on time when it comes to cook for our guests.

>> arthel: so frozen app ticers -- appetizers can be a life saver. "consumer reports" put them to the test and we have the results. you tested 18 of these? >> came up with three different times. we did the feta cheese, mini tacos and taquitos and mozzarella sticks. >> rick: these are all good? >> all these are winners. i brought all of our winners. we had two neck in neck. this is from costco. i think of these as little parties in boxes. you get 46 in here. they end up being about 29 cents a little mini pie. >> rick: how do you heat these up in. >> we did heat them up in the oven and warmed then in the microwave. >> arthel: these are good? remember this box. these are good. >> this is phyllo factory. very, very good. these are $12 a box. and end up about 25 cents an

appetizer. so really good deal. >> arthel: it's good! >> our tester said why bother making this yourself when you can get something this good. >> rick: do you need new testers? i've been meaning to ask you. >> come any time. >> rick: it's good! >> the mini taco here. these are $10 a box for 72 little appetizer, which is great. when you're giving a party, you want to have enough food. especially if you're serving cocktails. you need about eight appetizer per head for the first hour. 'cause people are drinking. eight appetizers per head. pieces. then afterwards, you can have six to eight for the whole rest of the party. but really it's important to have enough food, if you're having dinner, three to four is

fine. mozzarella, it's hard to find a good mozzarella stick. these are farm rich. really good. >> rick: you throw them in the microwave? >> you can. we like to put them in the oven. better in the oven. it's all better in the oven. these are really good. >> arthel: so you also told us something about sizes. >> yeah. one or two bites is perfect for an appetizer. then you don't have to juggle plates and don't have the messy clean-up. this is all with a napkin, you can eat this in one or two bites. that's great. you want to make sure you have enough. we talked about that. and then also there is presentation. these might be nice with a dip. it doesn't come with this. you might -- >> rick: these would be good with a dip. >> yeah. you could put a dip with these. otherwise everything is all done for you.

>> arthel: skewers? >> they're great on mini meat balls and better than two sticks. skewer makes a nicer presentation. >> rick: how about keeping them warm? >> you should do them in stages. don't put everything in the oven all at once. do it in stages. as plates start emptying, if you have any help in the kitchen, that's great. otherwise, go in and tuck another batch in and replenish the plate. >> arthel: quickly, i can preset it? i can put it in the pan, have it ready to go? >> absolutely. have it ready to go and have them ready to go and then as your plates start getting messy and need replenishing, you don't want messy plates. go get them all set up again. >> rick: even these are good. nice to see you. thanks so much. thank you for joining us. >> arthel: harris faulkner is up next. stay tuned. this is yummy.

♪ the trucks are going farther. the new 2013 ram 1500. ♪ with the best-in-class fuel economy. engineered to move heaven and earth. ♪ guts. glory. ram. hurry in and try five succulent entrees, like ourender snow crab paired with savory garlic shrimp. just $12.99. come into red lobster and sea food differently. and introducing 7 lunch choices for just $7.99. a cup of johan is a 600 horsepower sports coupe that likes to hug curves.

♪ your curves. smooth, rich, never bitter, gevalia.